After you've decluttered your space, you might find yourself with old furniture, appliances, and garden waste that you need to dispose of. Whether you’re downsizing, making room for new items, or simply refreshing your home, you’ll need a convenient way to get rid of these items. 

Don’t worry! 

Your local council offers a service that can handle this for you. A local council pick-up service is a convenient option for residents to dispose of bulky items. This service is designed to help keep neighbourhoods clean and safe by providing a responsible way to handle waste that can’t be discarded in regular bins. 

Australia’s 537 local councils handle around 26% of the country’s waste. They collect approximately 9.7 million tonnes of kerbside waste annually, sort it at material recovery facilities (MRFs), and send recyclable materials to reprocessing facilities in Australia and abroad. 

Not sure how to book a council pick-up? You're probably right if you have a lot of clutter at home and have heard you can arrange a free junk pick-up through the council. In this guide, we’ll cover all you need to know about booking a council pick-up and other effective rubbish removal options.

Who is eligible to book the service?

The council pick-up service is open to all residents and properties within the council area. You can only arrange a booking on behalf of a property if you live there, regardless of whether you rent or own it. For most local councils, there may be specific conditions for pick-ups if you reside in multi-unit dwellings, social housing, or business-rated properties, such as:

• For multi-unit dwellings, council pick-ups will be scheduled for your entire complex. You must contact your building manager to request the service and notify all residents of their collection date.

• For social housing, stand-alone public or community housing tenants may contact their local council directly to book a service, provided it meets their eligibility criteria. 

If you live in a multi-unit housing, your local council will coordinate with your housing provider to schedule a communal collection on the same day for all residents. Contact your housing liaison officer or representative to check your scheduled collection date. 

• Business-rated properties are generally ineligible because the business rates paid do not cover council waste and recycling services. Hence, property owners must handle their own waste services. 

However, if you're only renting, talk to your landlord or real estate agent to arrange the service. 

What Does Council Pick-up Take and Not?

Your local council manages a range of waste items. You can visit their website or contact them directly for a detailed list of allowed and banned items and specific guidelines for certain types of waste, like accepted length and condition.

Typically, local councils allow these items in their pick-up service:

• Mattresses in any size or condition of any type, such as foam, latex, and futon
• Bed bases ensembles or fabric-covered bed bases
• Household furniture (i.e. tables, chairs, sofas or lounges, wardrobes etc.)
• Mats and rugs rolled and tied up
• Outdoor furniture
• Household bulky goods (i.e. toys, strollers, prams, baby seats, suitcases, pots and pans etc.)
• Bundled and tied garden waste (i.e. branches, plants, clippings, etc.)
• White goods and large metal appliances (i.e. fridges, washing machines, dryers, dishwashers, ovens, etc.)
• Sporting and gym equipment 
• Electronics (i.e. TVs, computers, vacuum cleaners, toasters, battery-powered toys, etc.)

These items will not be accepted in most council pick-up services:

• Glass or mirrors, including glass panes from windows, table tops, furniture with glass doors, or any item with sheet glass or panels
• Hazardous waste (i.e. paints, asbestos sheeting, chemicals, unwanted medicine and liquids, etc.)
• Tyres and most car parts
• Commercial waste
• Building materials (i.e. bricks, tiles, gyprock, concrete, etc.)
• Fencing
• Composite compressed boards (i.e. fibre of any kind, Blue Board, Hardiplank, or any sheeting that contains asbestos or fibre)
• General waste and recyclables (i.e. food waste, food packaging, bottles and cans)
• Garden waste (i.e. vegetation, soil, rocks, etc.)

Each local council may have varying requirements and lists of acceptable items. So, be sure to check their website for guidelines thoroughly before booking. 

How Much Waste Do They Accept, and How often?

If you live in a house, most local councils accept one cubic metre per collection, while some accept up to 2 cubic metres or the size of a standard box trailer. For apartment buildings, the limit is 4 cubic metres per booking.

If you exceed the allowed cubic metre limit, the collection will count against your annual bulk kerbside collection entitlements until the waste is fully removed. The number of entitlements varies by council, usually ranging from 2 to 6 collections per year. If you've used all your entitlements, any excess waste will remain at the kerbside for you to handle. 

How to Book A Council Pick-up?

It’s quite easy! Let us help you.

1. Choose A Schedule

Check your local council's website and download their bulk waste pick-up schedule to determine which day of the week your area is serviced. This schedule will provide specific dates for pick-up, allowing you to plan ahead and avoid missing your scheduled collection.

2. Complete an Online Form

For convenience, you can book online through your local council’s website. You’ll need to specify the types of items you have and choose a pick-up date. Remember, only the items you specify during booking will be collected. Once you've booked, you may receive an email and/or SMS confirmation with your booking details.

If you live in an apartment building, inform your building manager or key booking contact about the items you need collected so they can make the booking online.

If you can't reach your building manager or don’t have one, you can book online yourself. However, most councils allow only one collection per property per week, so if another resident has already booked a collection, you may be unable to schedule another.

3. Call Through Phone

You can also contact your local council by phone to schedule a pick-up service. This option is convenient if you prefer speaking to a representative directly.

Once you've booked, prepare your items for collection following your local council's rules and guidelines.

Local councils may have a wait time of two to five weeks for pick-up services. If you need to dispose of bulk waste quickly, you can consider other rubbish removal options.

What If The Local Council Can’t Take My Waste?

Local councils may be unable to take certain types of rubbish or handle larger amounts of waste. In this case, you might need help figuring out what to do. Don’t worry—All Gone Rubbish Removals can help! 

Our team of professionals and fleet of trucks will promptly come to your location to remove any waste you can't dispose of on your own. We provide same-day rubbish removal services in Greater Sydney, Central Coast, Gosford and Newcastle. For assistance with rubbish removal, call us at 0480 047 806 for a FREE quote.

You can save up to $75 on your first junk removal!